The Long March
Beauvoir recounts her 1955 Chinese journey and interprets postrevolutionary society through history, institutions and encounters.
Understanding the text
The essay belongs to the controlled visits and political expectations of its period; its judgments have drawn strong criticism.
Key points
- 01
Observation
Visiting places and meeting interlocutors does not guarantee access to all social experiences.
- 02
Revolution
Hope for collective transformation shapes the criteria used to judge the present.
- 03
Reassessment
Historical distance helps evaluate omissions and limitations in the inquiry.
How to read it
Compare the account with independent historical scholarship and identify the sources behind its claims.
Editions & sources
- Consult the reference 1plato.stanford.edunew tab
- Consult the reference 2iep.utm.edunew tab
- Consult the reference 3gallimard.frnew tab
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗